By Tim Harford
2007
Beauty and the Geek
Maybe good looks do make you smarter. March 3, 2007
Minibar Economics
Why you should stay at hotels that overcharge for drinks and Wi-Fi access.
February 17, 2007
The Distance Paradox
If telecommuting is so easy, why do we travel for work more than ever? February
3, 2007
Why the Stock Market Rises in January …
And why it shouldn't. January 27, 2007
Urinalysis
What potty training reveals about excessive executive salaries. January 13, 2007
2006
We're Watching You, Slacker
Do hardworking employees make their lazy colleagues more productive? December
23, 2006
The Not-So-Dismal Science
How economists measure whether you're happy. December 8, 2006
I
Want It Now!
The curious economics of temptation. November 25, 2006
My Boss Is 65 and Pregnant
How fertility advances could allow women to take over the boardroom. November
11, 2006
EST. CST. MST. PST. NOT!
Would the United States be better off with only one time zone? October 28, 2006
Charity Is Selfish
The economic case against philanthropy. October 10, 2006
When Moms Work, Kids Get Fat
An incendiary new explanation for childhood obesity. September 30, 2006
A
Marriage of Convenience
How matrimony is alarmingly like coal mining. September 16, 2006
A
Cock-and-Bull Story
Explaining the huge rise in teen oral sex. September 2, 2006
The Preservation Paradox
Why conservation laws can kill the animals they're supposed to protect. August
19, 2006
Hezbollah and the Prisoner's Dilemma
Can game theory solve the Israel-Lebanon war? August 3, 2006
The Chocolate War
Can schools successfully ban candy? An economist doubts it. July 22, 2006
The Case of the Unpaid Parking Ticket
Why some people cheat, and others don't. July 8, 2006
World Cup Game Theory
What economics tells us about penalty kicks. June 24, 2006
Buy! Buy! Buy! Sell! Sell! Sell!
The rational explanation for stock market frenzies and
crashes. June 10, 2006
The $10,000 Light Bulb …
Or, why it's so hard to measure inflation. May 27, 2006
Risky Business
Should you ever buy rental car insurance? May 12, 2006
If Life Gives You Lemons …
Why you can never buy a decent used car. April 29, 2006
Confusion Pricing
Why cell-phone plans are so hard to understand. April 15, 2006
There's Not Enough Money in Politics
Lobbyists spend $2 billion a year to influence Congress. Why so little? April 1,
2006
Fire Grandpa! Hire Junior!
Why older workers are paid way too much, and younger workers way too little.
March 18, 2006
Why New Orleans Won't Recover
An economic explanation based on the Chicago Fire, the Kobe earthquake, and my
CD collection. March 4, 2006
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
The economic case for polygamy. February 17, 2006
Who's the Greatest Artist of the 20th Century?
This economist has figured out the answer. February 4, 2006
The Mystery of the Rude Waiter
Why my favorite restaurant employs such a churlish lout. January 21, 2006 (The
first The Undercover Economist article.)
Starbucks Economics
Solving the mystery of the elusive "short" cappuccino. January 6, 2006 (The last
Everyday Economics article.)
2005
Xbox Economics, Part 2
More reasons Microsoft isn't charging enough for the season's hot game console.
Dec 21, 2005
The Great Xbox Shortage of 2005
Why you can't buy the one present you really need. Dec 15, 2005